


An Old 'Scar'

by DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, It starts angsty but I promise it gets silly and cute, Rayllum, Theres some mild violence to start but it's nothing too bad, This was supposed to be lighthearted and silly but as I wrote it got a bit hurt/comforty, because apparently everything i write is hurt/comfort these days hahaha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 06:50:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21503662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon/pseuds/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon
Summary: “You’re an idiot, do you know that?” She asked with a tremble in her voice and a lump in her throat. “What were you even thinking?”The elf got no reply from the battered human prince laying limp in her arms. If he hadn’t been out cold, perhaps he would have told her that he was thinking that watching her rush off alone to face a Worgel, one of Xadia’s more wild and dangerous predators, was a terrible idea. That he thought he could help, after all, he had magic now, he could hold his own in a fight.…Or that he didn’t realise the creature could kick with the force of three draught horses combined, or shoot spines the size of swords out of their back.---A fic in which Rayla patches up Callum and learns that humans have these strange things called "Bellybuttons." Soft silliness ensues after a bit of angst.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 314





	An Old 'Scar'

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Piecesofarose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piecesofarose/gifts).



“You’re an idiot, do you know that?” She asked with a tremble in her voice and a lump in her throat. “What were you even _thinking?_ ”

The elf got no reply from the battered human prince laying limp in her arms. If he hadn’t been out cold, perhaps he would have told her that he was thinking that watching her rush off alone to face a Worgel, one of Xadia’s more wild and dangerous predators, was a terrible idea. That he thought he could help, after all, he had magic now, he could hold his own in a fight.

…Or that he didn’t realise the creature could kick with the force of three draught horses combined, or shoot spines the size of swords out of their back.

Instead, Callum lay motionless, his side weeping red against his jacket.

“Hold on… H-Hold on for me, okay?” She lay him down gently on the ground, peeling back his jacket and lifting up his shirt to check over his wounds. A nasty looking gash marred his side, but it didn’t look too deep, at least not deep enough to need stitches. It just needed pressure and support- maybe she could manage something with the supplies in their bag-

But then Rayla did a double take.

Callum was no fighter. He had never been a fighter, he was soft, and sweet, a bit of a nerdy type, and so she never expected to see scars across his body, not _yet_ anyway. But there square in the centre of his stomach was a healed up scar unlike anything she had seen before.

Had something happened to him as a young child? It was a distracting thought, her stomach churning at the idea that someone might have hurt Callum in the past. The thought of anyone hurting Callum _now_ , let alone as an innocent young child… what monster could bring themselves to do that?

Or… perhaps it was from an accident. Perhaps he had impaled himself on something as he fell- No. No, that thought didn’t hurt any less.

Callum’s body twitched when her fingertips brushed gently over his skin, snapping her back to reality as the boy’s face screwed up in pain.

It wasn’t nice to see her poor boy in such a state. To see him so hurt, so vulnerable, every fibre of her being just wanted to do whatever she could to take every ounce of his pain away, to hold him close and protect him from the world.

She steadied her breath and got to work cleaning and dressing his injuries with the supplies they had. All the while, Callum faded dimly in and out of a comatose state, delirious with pain and blood loss.

The worst moment had to be when he weakly, and in a voice so frightened, said that he wanted to see his mother, (That, she had to admit, felt like a cold stone dropping in the pit of her stomach) followed by him asking if he was going to die.

“No… no you’re not dying Callum it’s not… I-It’s not too bad okay?” It wasn’t a lie, his injuries weren’t life threatening, but it still hurt to say somehow, like part of her mind was doubting herself. No… he would be okay. He’d be fine. He just needed rest, and he’d be good to go again…

He faded again, too weak to stay with her, but his eyes locked with hers before he closed them, so afraid and childlike. All she could do was hold his hand, brush her fingers through his fringe, and promise him weakly he would pull through, that she was right there and wouldn’t leave his side.

Rayla kept a vigil all through the night, unwavering in her loyalty. Callum’s hand was clasped tightly between her own, her thumb brushing gently over his curled fingers.

_‘Wake up soon… Please… Please…’_

_\---_

It wasn’t until the following afternoon that Callum’s eyelids cracked open again. The first thing he felt was the pain ringing through him; sharp stinging against his side, and a throbbing ache in his ribs. What had happened again…? He vaguely recalled the face of a terrifying beast, getting shot at with spines then kicked in the chest by the creature trying to make a meal out of Zym.

Understandably from what he could recall from his groggy mind, the dragon was his first priority. Was their little charge okay? Where was he? But as he shifted, he found his hand curled around someone else’s, and his gaze fell to the elf at his side. Rayla was kneeling, head hung down with her eyes closed, fingers tangled in his own. He could see the rise and fall of her shoulders, slow and steady as she slept upright, as though she had succumb to exhaustion where she sat.

When he first tried to speak, his voice cracked and no noise came out, his lungs aching against bruised ribs. When he tried again, he found her name on his lips.

“R-Ray… Rayla…”

Rayla inhaled sharply, eyes snapping open, ears twitching, and she bolted back upright. “What? Huh?” She looked around, past him at first, before blinking away her sleep and glancing down at the boy. “Callum…?” Her voice went gentler now at his name, and now that she was looking right at him he could see the fatigue dulling her usually vibrant eyes. “You’re… you’re awake…”

It was clear she was too stunned to follow that up with anything else, so he offered her a meek nod and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. “I-Is Zym…?”

“He’s fine, Callum. He’s just sleeping on your bag.” Callum felt the tension in his muscles loosen, but in relaxing it only send waves of throbbing pain through him. He groaned, squeezing her hand. “H-Hey… take it easy, try and get some rest, okay?” He felt her other hand brush gently against his cheek. “I’m right here if you need anything.”

\---

Callum spent most of the rest of the day dozing, often caught in a strange place between sleeping and waking. At times it was a bit scary, he felt trapped in his body, unable to move or open his eyes, like some form of sleep paralysis, but other times he just drifted off deeply again into dreamless sleep.

Rayla only left his side once to gather food and water, something she mumbled softly to him regardless of if he could hear her or not, and she was quick to return with supplies on hand. She sat away from him for a while, and he could hear the crackle of a starting fire from where she was and her voice mumbling to Zym, quiet and distant.

Finally he heard her shuffle back over to him, kneeling once more at his side.

“Here,” She muttered as he felt her arms wrap around him to pull him very carefully up so he was sitting. He grumbled painfully until she finally cradled him with his head against her shoulder. “Drink this. It’ll help.”

He wanted to ask what it was, but his body was still far too unresponsive, and by the time he had gathered the energy to part his lips she had pressed a vial to them. At first, it just tasted like water. But then it was sharp and bitter as it hit the back of his throat and he recoiled, his toes curling and his legs shifting uncomfortably.

If there was one positive, it was that the taste was so disgustingly bad it had completely woken him up now.

“Ngh, Rayla what-?!”

“I know,” Her voice went apologetic as she cut him off. “It tastes vile, I’m really sorry. But it’ll help with the pain, and help you heal up faster.”

Callum wrinkled his nose cracking his eyes open to look up at her. She offered him a weak smile back. “What even is it?” He mumbled.

“It’s a mix of medicinal plant extracts, boiled together. A quick cure for most ailments.”

“Do… do I have to drink it?” He whined, still cringing at the taste refusing to leave his mouth.

She shot him an irritated look. “If you don’t I’ll have wasted time preparing this for nothing. And we’ll waste precious time while you decide to sleep the days away.”

“…Fine.” Callum steeled himself and drank down the remains of the vial, shuddering as he did so. It felt at first like a tingling, numbing sensation on his tongue and down his throat to his stomach. Then a soothing warmth, spreading across him. Though he still ached, it was far more manageable than before. He could move his arms and legs, albeit sluggishly, and he reached up weakly to find her shoulder. “…Thank you.”

Her face softened and she gave him a nod. “It’s alright… now just try and take it easy and let the medicine do its job.” 

\---

It was long after the sun had set when they found the heart for conversation again. Rayla had been right, the medicine she had prepared really did feel like it was making a difference. There was a strangle prickly sensation in his side where he knew he had been injured, like the feeling of his skin knitting itself slowly back together. His ribs, though sore, were dulled in pain than they had been earlier. Still, he tried to avoid jostling around too much in case he hindered the process, content to sit, still rather sleepily, by the fire and let it warm him.

Rayla had gone to wash his jacket down by a river, something he quietly told her she didn’t need to do given her aversion to water, but she insisted, and returned rather quietly as she dried it on a rock nearby. Zym had curled up by his leg, watching as the human prince drew before the silence became too much to bear. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Rayla got there first, as though she too had been trying to think of a way to break the ice.

“How are you feeling?”

“…I… Sore. But I’ll live.” He smiled weakly across the fire at her, then watched as she shuffled around to sit closer to him.

She was quiet for a while, her eyes down. They flickered in the firelight, thoughtful. “Callum… you’re a prince, right?”

“Uh… yeah. Yes. I am.” It seemed like an odd question. She already knew this, she’d known this from the first day they met.

“Was…” She trailed off for a minute, almost pained as though she was afraid of what she wanted to ask. Her voice went quiet as she finally met his eye. “Callum, was I the first elf you ever… encountered?”

He stared at her blankly. “What? Why?” She stared at him hard, waiting for his answer. “I mean… yeah. Yeah you were. Before I met you, everything I knew about elves was from stories.” Her eyes looked like they were searching his for answers now, like she wasn’t entirely happy with his response. “Rayla, what’s wrong?”

“Do the other human kingdoms have anything against Katolis?” She deflected his question again.

“No… No, we all get along peacefully. What’s this all about?”

“I-It’s just… as a prince, I suppose you’d make a bit of a political target. You and Ezran both. That’s why we… when we… you know…”

“Rayla…” His own voice went gentle now, and he reached across to place a hand on her shoulder. “You know I don’t blame you for that.”

“Callum… I saw. When I was treating your side. I saw.”

Callum raised an eyebrow, confused now, but her expression was sad. Pitiful even. “You saw what?”

“Did someone hurt you as a child? If they did, I hope the guards caught whatever _monster_ would hurt someone like you. If not I’ll hunt them down myself.”

She’d completely lost him now. “Rayla… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She blinked at him now. “The… The stab wound.”

“The one you treated?”

“No, the old one, that’s healed up. Looks like it was made with a javelin.”

“What…? Rayla, I’ve never been stabbed.”

“Then what’s with that strange scar on your stomach?” Callum stared back at her stunned, trying to think of what she meant. Her frown turned to one of frustration. “It’s right in the middle of your belly!”

The realisation formed in his mind. “Rayla… do you mean my _bellybutton?_ ”

Now it was Rayla who stared at him vacantly. “What…?”

“Rayla… do elves not have bellybuttons?”

She furrowed her brow at him, squinting as though she was trying to figure out if he was playing a joke on her. She sounded out her words slowly, cautious. “What… is a bellybutton?”

Callum blinked at her in total shock. It had never, _ever_ occurred to him in all their time travelling, that such a small and frivolous thing would be such a culture shock to them both. He turned his eyes back down at his shirt, then fumbled nervously at the hem, lifting it just enough to expose his tummy.

“Do you mean this?” He asked, pointing at the little hole in his naval.

She nodded, her eyes darting from it to his face, an eyebrow raised and head tilted questioningly.

The twitch of an amused smile found his lips now. “Yeah… Rayla this isn’t a scar. All humans have one, it’s just from when I was born.” 

Rayla tilted her head the opposite way now, regarding him with piqued curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“Well… you know, it’s from when the doctors cut and tied my cord.”

Rayla’s expression immediately shifted to one of shock and horror. “They _cut_ your cord?” Her nose wrinkled at the idea, and she shook her head, shoulders hunched as she frowned. “You poor thing, that’s absolutely barbaric.”

Callum couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped his lips, even when it made his ribs ache again. “This honestly is _not_ a conversation I ever thought I would be having. But… now you’ve got me curious. What do elves do?”

She took a moment, as though recalling the information from something she was told long ago. “It’s a gel.” She stated, almost unsure at first. “Yeah. A gel, from a plant, and it dissolves the cord and heals it up slowly at the same time.”

That was… actually rather interesting, Callum thought. But as he sat there thinking about how strange a thing it was, to not have a bellybutton, Rayla shuffled closer and his breath hitched in his throat. Her hand hovered, timidly, as though she wanted to reach out. He caught her eye when she looked back up at him, her face nervous and betraying a gentle question, one that asked if she was allowed such intimate contact.

Honestly, part of him didn’t mind at all. Rayla was a dear and treasured friend of his and she’d already bandaged him up earlier anyway. And yet despite this, he could feel his ears burning, his cheeks turning red. He took her hand tenderly, and hesitated, anxious, before he guided it to his stomach, and he watched her face shift, so curious and intrigued as she splayed her fingers over his skin. They traced down until they were just shy of his navel, and Callum had to fight the twitch of his legs as it tickled slightly. She hummed softly to herself.

“Does it hurt?”

“No,” His voice came out a little gentler than he expected, soft and reassuring. “Not at all.”

She curled her fingers to brush her knuckles against his skin. “How strange.” She bumped them over his belly button. “I never thought…”

“Hm…?”

“I never thought that I’d find more little differences between us. Between humans and elves.” She peeked up at him.

“Well… I’m sure there’s plenty more... We grew up in different places with different cultures after all. But we have plenty of similarities too.” He shifted slightly, slow and careful, wincing at the aches ringing through his body. Still, he pulled himself closer to her, and she steadied him gently, hooking her arm around him, and resting the hand that had previously been on his stomach against his arm instead. He rested his head against her shoulder again, as he had earlier that day. “We’re both still two people… people who want to make the world better.” Timidly he reached up, and tangled his fingers gently between her own. “And I… I think it’s really cool that we’re different! I like learning new things from you, and about you, and I… well I think you’re really cool Rayla.”

He felt her arm relax around him, her fingers curling around his hand to give it a squeeze. There was something playful in her voice, and yet it was soft all the same “…Is that so?”

“It is.” He assured, tilting his head to smile up at her. Callum’s grip on her hand loosened, and he played with her fingers absentmindedly. “I like your horns. They’re really pretty,” Rayla’s eyes widened at that, pink beginning to tickle her cheeks. “Like, the patterns on them, and they’re such a nice shade of purple.”

“Y-You’re…” She huffed softly, trying to collect herself before giving him a smile. “You’re clearly still loopy from blood loss, you silly human.” 

“Am not.” He grumbled, though perhaps she was half right. He was definitely still rather weary, and perhaps the lethargy was giving rise to a sort of bravery, one that allowed him to say things he’d been afraid to say for so long.

“I like your eyes too.” He continued quieter now. “And your ears, I really _do_ like them Rayla, I mean it.” He chuckled, as he brushed his thumb over hers. Rayla only stared at him, her face turning pinker, her lips moving slightly as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. 

“Well I like you too.” She blurted out suddenly, before looking like she immediately regretted it. “I-I mean-! The things that make you a human!” She laughed awkwardly, eyes shooting away from his face. “Like your um… _lack_ of horns! And your…” She softened, relaxing slightly as she let her fingers brush along his. “Your hands. I like your hands. And even your cute, weird little belly hole.” 

“You… think it’s cute?”

She flushed again, pursing her lips together. “I didn’t say cute.”

A smile twitched on Callum’s lips but he wouldn’t push it any further than that. “You know who else has a cute belly hole- uh, bellybutton? Ez.” She finally found the strength to look him in the eye again, raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Yeah. He has an outie. That means his one sticks out.” Callum beamed.

“It sticks…” She shook her head with a defeated sigh. “…Humans are so weird.” She muttered incredulously.

“Maybe,” He laughed. “But you like us anyway.”

“I suppose…” She sighed, but he caught the way the corners of her lips curved into a small smile. “…Yes. I suppose I do. Strange little quirks and all.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there thanks for reading! I figured I could manage one more little oneshot before season 3 airs on Friday. This one was based off a silly little fun headcanon I had over on my twitter, and you can all thank Piecesofarose for that. It got surprisingly popular and a few people asked me to write it so here you go!  
> Please be sure to check out my other works if you enjoyed this one. And don't forget to leave some kudos and a comment, they really make my day! I hope you all enjoy Season 3!!  
> \- Dee


End file.
